While Akufo-Addo Ignored It, Mahama Looks Away from Declaring a State of Emergency on Galamsey

The continuous destruction of Ghana's rivers, forests, farmlands and biodiversity through illegal small-scale mining, locally known as galamsey, represents one of the gravest environmental and governance failures of our time. What we are witnessing today is no longer the traditional galamsey of decades past, but a highly mechanised and destructive enterprise that I have consistently described as high-tech galamsey (HTG). Unfortunately, successive governments have demonstrated an unwillingness to confront this environmental menace with the urgency and extraordinary measures it demands.

Former President Nana Akufo-Addo had ample opportunity to declare a targeted state of emergency in the worst affected mining areas. Despite sustained public pressure, including threats of nationwide industrial action ahead of the December 2024 general elections, his administration failed to take that decisive step.

Today, President John Dramani Mahama faces essentially the same demand. The troubling question is whether Ghana is witnessing another administration allowing political calculations to overshadow an environmental emergency that threatens present and future generations.

Commendable Efforts, but Where Are the Results?

I acknowledge and commend President Mahama for the initiatives undertaken since assuming office in January 2025, particularly the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS). Its initial operations demonstrated the potential of a more coordinated and forceful response to illegal mining. However, changes in operational leadership and continued reports of destructive mining activities raise legitimate concerns about the consistency, effectiveness and sustainability of the government's approach.

As a climate and environmental advocate, I personally placed considerable confidence in President Mahama's ability to confront this menace more decisively than his predecessor. I did not expect HTG to disappear overnight, but I certainly expected a government determined to reverse the destruction to move beyond gradual interventions and repeated assurances. The current approach, in my assessment, is simply not delivering the urgency that the situation demands.

Why a Targeted State of Emergency Cannot Wait

President Mahama has publicly raised concerns about the geographical spread of galamsey and the implications of declaring a state of emergency across affected regions. These concerns deserve consideration, particularly regarding civilian safety, constitutional rights and the potential consequences of extraordinary security operations. However, they should not become permanent justifications for inaction.

Nobody is demanding a nationwide state of emergency. My consistent advocacy has been for a targeted, legally justified and time-bound declaration in the most severely devastated galamsey hotspots, particularly where heavily polluted rivers, destroyed forest reserves and organised illegal mining networks have overwhelmed ordinary enforcement mechanisms.

Ghana's 1992 Constitution, particularly Article 31, and the Emergency Powers Act, 1994 (Act 472), provide a legal framework for emergency measures, subject to constitutional safeguards and parliamentary oversight. These provisions should be carefully examined and applied where the legal threshold is met. A targeted declaration must define its geographical scope, duration, operational responsibilities and safeguards against abuse. It must protect innocent civilians while empowering lawful enforcement against organised environmental destruction.

The argument that galamsey has spread across numerous regions should strengthen, rather than weaken, the case for prioritising the worst affected areas. We cannot reasonably insist that every affected district must receive identical emergency treatment before decisive action can begin.

HTG Is Not Ordinary Galamsey, and Gradualism Will Not Defeat It

The increasing use of excavators, sophisticated machinery, financial networks and organised protection arrangements has transformed illegal mining into a deeply entrenched environmental, economic and political challenge. HTG destroys ecosystems at a scale that conventional enforcement operations struggle to contain. Its consequences extend beyond polluted water and degraded forests to threatened livelihoods, food security, public health and the country's long-term development prospects.

We cannot continue allowing a relatively small number of individuals and powerful interest groups to accumulate private wealth while transferring the environmental and economic costs to millions of Ghanaians. The benefits of gold extraction cannot justify poisoning rivers, destroying agricultural landscapes and compromising the wellbeing of future generations.

The fight against HTG requires more than occasional raids, equipment seizures, arrests and reassuring political statements. It demands sustained enforcement, accountability for financiers and politically connected actors, environmental restoration and the political courage to confront vested interests. A targeted state of emergency, accompanied by these measures, is in my view the most credible remaining option for restoring control in the worst affected areas.

Mr. President, History Is Watching

President Mahama must recognise that the political cost of decisive action cannot outweigh the national cost of continued environmental destruction. If every difficult decision is postponed because of its potential political consequences, Ghana will always find explanations for failure rather than solutions to its problems.

I remain committed to supporting genuine efforts by this government to defeat HTG. However, that support does not prevent me from demanding stronger action when the existing strategy is inadequate. Former President Akufo-Addo failed to respond decisively to calls for a targeted state of emergency. President Mahama must not repeat that mistake.

Mr. President, Ghana does not need another round of excuses while its rivers are poisoned and its forests disappear. It needs decisive leadership backed by constitutional authority, operational discipline and measurable results. Declare a targeted state of emergency in the worst HTG hotspots, protect innocent lives, confront the powerful interests behind this destruction and demonstrate that Ghana's environmental survival matters more than political convenience.

The time for gradualism is running out. Our environment cannot wait for another election cycle.